The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Are we allowed to applaud the bulls?

I've never had any time for so-called 'sports' involving cruelty to animals - in fact, I don't regard them as being 'sport' at all. I have no problem if the intent is to kill the animal quickly and cleanly, as in hunting for food: but something like bullfighting, which prolongs the animal's agony and tries to provoke it to active participation in its own torture, is abhorrent to me. I see nothing worthwhile in it at all. That's why I can't feel too upset when, as shown below, the bulls sometimes get their own back on the macho idiots who lust after their slow and painful destruction.

WARNING: This video shows animal-on-human violence, including serious injury. Those who might find that distressing should not watch it.

Real bullfighting died in the late 70s. Before that, the bulls were massive & aggressive ensuring that the fighter had to really work to stay alive. It was not uncommon to have weekly injuries and/or deaths at bullfights. Any bull that actually killed a bullfighter was then spared and put to pasture. But all that changed and breeders began creating smaller and less fierce animals in order to make sure they could be controlled. And in the event a bull was used, demonstrated a sudden streak of aggression and killed a bullfighter, it was put to death in the next fight to kill that particular line. Perhaps one of the best bullfighters was Manuel Benítez Pérez who retired in disgust as he could not find a bull worth fighting. He ended up playing games in the arena with the "new breed" as they were too tame.

I am greatly impressed with the organising of this event, I have to ask, how long did it take, and how difficult was it for the organisers to search far and wide to gather so many MORONS into this small space.

@Miguel, thanks for he explanation. I've only ever attended bullfights in the 60's, in Spain, not that I remember them, I was a baby. I had always thought bullfighting was pretty fair as far as bloodsports went, but I guess my information was antiquated.

Miguel is quite correct. In the early days bulls were bred for fighting, but as a result of breeding and training a shortage of willing bullfighters developed. Some bullfighters outwardly refused to fight certain bulls or bloodlines of bulls that were a proven commodity.

A tourist was in Mexico and stopped at a cantina for refreshment and dinner. While sipping his tequila, he noticed a sizzling, scrumptious-looking platter being served at the next table. Not only did it look good, the aroma was wonderful, so he asked the waiter, "What is that you just served that guy over there?"

The waiter replied, "Ah, Señor, you have excellent taste! Those are the bull's testicles from the bullfight.… A delicacy!"

The tourist, emboldened by the tequila he'd been drinking, said, “Sounds good. Bring me an order!"

The waiter replied, "I am so sorry, Señor. There is only one serving per day because there is only one bullfight each day. If you come back tomorrow, we will save you this delicacy!"

The tourist returned the next evening and was served the delicacy of the day. After taking a few bites and inspecting the contents of his platter, he called the waiter over and said, "These are delicious, but they're a lot smaller than the ones you served yesterday! Why is that?"

The waiter shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Sometimes the bull wins".

I think that was great but not for the same reasons as you. I think it shows not only acts of stupidity and bravery and machismo (which is not necessarily bad except in the pussified world) but it shows something we as Americans lack altogether - a national test of our mettle. Roaring with delight watching or even participating in boxing, hockey or football is just not the same as participating in something in which it is a weaponless you against a much stronger force and you easily could be killed.

Those people were not, at least in those moments of the thrill, wishing for the demise of the bulls (unless they wished so as they were being gored, trampled or thrown about). They were, testing their own mettle. Sure, the running of the bulls and things like this with tethered bulls are related to bullfighting and do a lot to promote it; however, you could still hold these events and never run a bullfight. Some people who attend the running of the bulls each year and who likewise participate in the run never attend bullfights and a few actually are opposed to bullfighting. I think you anger may be, at least in part, misdirected.

What amazed me most of all, and I am surprised not one person has commented on it yet, is how other who were not being gored went to the aid of those being gored and in almost every instance tried to distract the bull, by offering themselves as a target, to get it off of the fallen object of the bulls rampage. When something like that is done in combat, where we kill one another without thinking as much of one another as some of us think of animals, those actions are thought courageous and the fellow doing them as a hero and medals are given out. Here, the participants are called drunks, and worse. Oh well.

I think it's more a rite of passage than anything else. Take a look at the fitness of those people. They're allowed to fight the imaginary bull, a national tradition, with knowledge of the risk. Only once was I disturbed, and it was right at the end. I think that was either a very young man, or teen. That one did not look good. This was an all-male event. I think I saw one female. There were no black contestants.